IM Subspecialties Open to DOs?

[PA_dud3]

Is there a general list of IM Subspecialties which are typically able to be pursued by DOs? Obviously DOs have great IM Match Rates in the NRMP, but I haven't found any data regarding fellowships and the like. Thanks for any help you can provide!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[madiso30]

Just an M1 but it comes down to where you go. If you get a decent university or great community program, then apply yourself in research, and apply broadly, pretty much all sub-specialties are open.

That DO bias really only matters for residency apps. So it comes down to where you are at for residency. Connections would help too I imagine. All the specialties that are normally competitive (cards, GI, etc.) will still be competitive.

Any residents or attendings feel free to correct what I've said or add to it.

 

[phagocytosis41]

Is there a general list of IM Subspecialties which are typically able to be pursued by DOs? Obviously DOs have great IM Match Rates in the NRMP, but I haven't found any data regarding fellowships and the like. Thanks for any help you can provide!

Generally fewer are in the more competitive fellow-ships like pulmonary, cv, gi. Anything else, sure, what most MDs avoid.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

I have students in top programs and in competetive fellowships, gi , cardio, ct surgery, etc. Sure its competetive, but that's the definition. Bring a competetive app and you are in the running.

 

[Ho0v-man]

We have much lower match rates for competitive ones like gi and cardio. I can’t find it and apologize if I’m off, but i think fellowship match for usmd was in the 90s for cards and in the high 60s for DOs. This has more to do with the quality of your IM residency than being a DO.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Raw fellowship numbers for 2019
Page 10 and 11

https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Results-and-Data-SMS-2019.pdf

Fellowship Charting Outcomes in 2018 with specific match percentages

https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2018-Charting-Outcomes-SMS.pdf

GI has the worst match rate with like 45% or something like that, Cards is in the 60's. Where you do residency plays a HUGE role in fellowship matching and it's impossible to tell why some people don't match. For GI it's likely because how unlikely it is for DOs to be applying from an academic IM residency, which is all but mandatory so you can have access to the connections and research necessary to match GI (or go to one of the few DO IM programs that have a GI fellowship in house).

 

[Isoval]

Everyone else pretty much nailed it already:

The fact that you’re a DO has little to no direct impact on your fellowship, but your residency does. Since fellowships tend to only be offered at large academic centers, it would follow that they want you to come from a large academic center.

DO schools are notorious for matching their students into community programs on average, so, on average, fellowships become harder to come by.

 

[Deecee2DO]

Is there a general list of IM Subspecialties which are typically able to be pursued by DOs? Obviously DOs have great IM Match Rates in the NRMP, but I haven't found any data regarding fellowships and the like. Thanks for any help you can provide!

All IM subspecialties/fellowships are open to DOs. GI and cards most competitive. Nephro and ID least competitive then everything else in between